1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a ceramic capacitor that is formed on a substrate.
2. Related Background Art
In the past, a stacked ceramic capacitor has been known as one of ceramic capacitors. Such a stacked ceramic capacitor 1 has a structure as shown in FIG. 23, and is configured in accordance with a stacked member 6 in which some ceramic dielectric layers 2 and some internal electrode layers 4 are alternately stacked in a up-down direction, and a pair of electrodes 8A, 8B that are formed so as to sandwich this stacked member 6 laterally. Furthermore, regarding the internal electrode layers 4 of this capacitor 1, any two adjacent internal electrode layers 4 are connected to different electrodes 8A, 8B as shown FIG. 23B in detail.
As a method of manufacturing the stacked ceramic capacitor described above, a sheet method and a print method are known. Both of these manufacturing methods manufacture a stacked ceramic capacitor by the method comprises steps of, forming a stacked member in which layers consisting of a ceramic dielectric powder that configure dielectric layers and layers consisting of an electrode paste (a conductive paste) that configure internal electrode layers are alternately stacked in a plurality of layers, and providing external electrodes subsequent to baking this stacked member.
In forming these dielectric layers, a ceramic compact (a so-called green sheet), which is manufactured by mixing together a ceramic dielectric powder, an organic binder and an organic solvent to create a slurried dielectric paste, making this dielectric paste into a sheet shape using a doctor blade method or the like, and suitably drying the green sheet, is utilized. On the other hand, the electrode paste utilized in forming the internal electrode layers is made into a paste by dispersing nickel or another such metallic powder into an organic binder and an organic solvent.
Then, the stacked ceramic capacitor is manufactured normally by the method comprises steps of, screen printing the electrode paste onto the surface of the green sheet, drying off the organic solvent included in the electrode paste, overlapping the plurality of compacts and pressing that, chipping and baking the stacked member produced by the overlapped compacts. The plurality of internal electrode layers is exposed at the lateral face of the chipped stacked member, and the external electrode is formed on the lateral face of the stacked member so as to electrically connect these internal electrode layers.
According to the progress toward smaller, thinner, more lightweight electronic devices in recent years, the stacked ceramic capacitor mentioned above is needed to be further smaller, moreover, the ceramic dielectric layers and internal electrode layers of these capacitors are required to be as thin as possible (made low profile), and stacked as many of these layers as possible (multi-layered) from the standpoint of higher capacity.